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Soundly beaten on the day and no points to show for our endeavours. Can't help but think despite the additional income generated, overall it was a bad move playing abroad, especially when by rights, it should have been Sarries home game. Any thoughts ?

Empty stadium little interest from the Yanks scrappy game well beaten ,personally really against it from day one and watching that I think the TV company putting the dosh up will be wondering why they got involved hope Falcons don't repeat it.

Let's hope so. I hope we didn't need ticket sales to make this add up, as a crowd of 2or3 thousand won't fill the coffers. Near empty stadiums aren't good viewing on TV nor reflect well on whoever was marketing it. If the management are genuinely content with the financial outcome then fair enough it was worth it.

It was worth it purely for the revenue to use for ground development. However I cannot see how that would do anything to increase the profile of our club or the overall profile of Rugby. This result may well have happened at the KP but I am confident that if this game was staged at the KP we would have seen a closer game. It's frustrating that we have forfeited our home game for this venture. I sincerely hope that this is the last time we make the trip stateside. Let's focus on our own development in our local area.

NorfolkFalconIt was worth it purely for the revenue to use for ground development. However I cannot see how that would do anything to increase the profile of our club or the overall profile of Rugby. This result may well have happened at the KP but I am confident that if this game was staged at the KP we would have seen a closer game. It's frustrating that we have forfeited our home game for this venture. I sincerely hope that this is the last time we make the trip stateside for a long time. Let's focus on our own development in our local area.

NorfolkFalconIt was worth it purely for the revenue to use for ground development. However I cannot see how that would do anything to increase the profile of our club or the overall profile of Rugby. This result may well have happened at the KP but I am confident that if this game was staged at the KP we would have seen a closer game. It's frustrating that we have forfeited our home game for this venture. I sincerely hope that this is the last time we make the trip stateside for a long time. Let's focus on our own development in our local area.

Spot on mate

What he said.

Our players always go better playing in front of the home faithful and a shouting south stand. That was a dire atmosphere from the sounds of it.

Mind you it's been good to get some money in the bank that will hopefully keep those northstand ra warm in the seasons to come.

First off, forget the “off par performance” comments. We played that against THE best club side this side of the equator. Didn’t play our best but limited them and our defence only conceded due to ‘il-discipline’ - got to admit most of that was forced by them but we conceded 3 points at times where in previous years we would’ve given 7 away.
Thought the penalty try was questionable - first thought was it hit the side of his head, JP makes the call and can understand why he would give it.
Ultimately we would have been dead and gone after 30 mins 18 months ago, this team is going to push everyone - remember Deanos targets of number of internationals and top quality players in his 5 year target? He can’t be far off now!!
Lastly Mr Green, out performing some of the best names in Europe right now. Next falcons international?? Major competition but can’t be many better at the moment??

We spilled a lot of ball, but sometimes that is due to the skill of the tackler. The first try was Sarries captalising on Hammers kick straight into touch, and the 2nd one- 2 more inches and Goneva has an interception try. 29-7 was perhaps a little harsh but it bodes well for the rest of the season.

We may have outplayed but would it been any better playing at home against the best side in the NH? Saracens are outstanding and this was possibly the best side they can put out. To hold them to under 30pts and earn a big packet that only help the club is an overall success, despite the gloomy outlook.

We are missing carrying options in the pack still and it would nice to get some of the exciting option in the backs out in the next few weeks. Flood will make a huge difference to the whole side imo.

Thought you put in a great defensive shift against our nearly full strength team though I remain very disappointed at missing my trip to Kingston Park. Green outstanding in the lineout. Quick question on Callum. What is his durability like these days? At Leeds Carnegie he and Barrow were full of promised but Callum seemed to spend an eternity injured.

Interesting to see Hodgson develop - highly thought of by the Leeds fans (though not me - rather light and short kicker imo!) but not particularly by the management. If you can get Ryan Burrows fit for a full 80 minutes you'll have an excellent highly durable ball carrier to add to an already impressive back row. Great to see a northern side developing under Deano.

Agreed with the above. Last night wasn't a whitewash and our defence stood up well against a team of internationals with an international bench . The penalty try was harsh and the points came from kicks.
It was a long way for guys to travel but I'm sure they were welcomed by the Americans who seem to embrace all that is British and I'm sure there are a few hangovers today.
Like football , the issue with rugby is that there aren't enough breaks in the game for a commercial to company to make money from broadcasting it. The crowd may have been small but it's great that Falcons have gained this exposure.
Finance wise, it must be less that £6million , significantly less but despite the pain of losing a home match , the investment into the club for the long run has got to be well worth it.
Realistically , home or away we weren't going to win that fixture. So what we traded was an expected loss and turned it into $$$

Only if the financial return is in squillions will I consider this adventure to have been worth the loss of potential win points if we had played at KP. Having said that, to deny the Fezzies a four try bonus was something. This was really their first match of the season with the return of their Lions and they had a major statement to make. Interesting to hear Chick at the Q&A at KP before the game on TV say that the squad has targeted the play-offs. I am still dreaming!

Again Callum Green was outstanding and how itoji got MOTM was a mystery. His lineout calling was awful and he barely made much ground with ball in hand. Tho highlight of the game was nili putting him down hard. Looking at bath away is a tough game, but Irish at home the week after needs to be nothing less than 5 points if we wanna be a top 6 side

I can assure you that the figure of £6m for this game is bar talk conjured up from nowhere and is downright silly. It has been commercially very good for the club but not a lottery win.

Would we have done better at KP? Nobody can say but personally I don't think it would have been any different. Sarries are so strong with their ranks of internationals that they just trample all over home advantage, be it here or anywhere else.

I think the experience will have done the whole squad a power of good, something to lift them up a bit for the season ahead. Many of our younger players won't have been on this sort of adventure before, it is truly character building stuff, and that can only be a good thing.

If I had to pick one game to play in the USA then this would have been it because in all likelihood the result would be much the same.

Going forward, if other games are to be played in America by other teams then more thought needs to go into the when and where they are played. The humidity sapped the energy from the players and produced a slippery ball leading to all those handling errors. Also what looked to be a very good looking stadium didn't look so good being only a third full.

I am sure the Falcons fans who made the trip think it was worth it and will forever have a tale to tell. And well done to them for making themselves heard.

This was about money, and from that point of view it's a success.
Much as I don't totally agree with it we obviously needed the money. Like two seasons ago for Irish this was always about Sarries than Falcons.
We move on..

They always say that home advantage is worth 16 points, so in my reckoning we missed an LBP. However, if we got the players we got this summer due to extra finance and we don't get relegated by a point then the exercise is probably positive for us.

Onwards and (hopefully) upwards. Dont expect much from Bath and hoping for a win against Irish. That would mean 3 from 5 which would be 13 wins out of 22 over the season which would be about top 6. That would be a very good season for me.

It was IMO.
Experience, bonding, and playing against a team who could IMO possibly beat all but the top 4 International sides in the world.
Crowd might not have been that large but I would love to know the worldwide viewing figures!
Puts us without doubt on the Rugby world map with a few pennies in the bank.

Started well, but kicking straight out was schoolboy error, and Boom you are 7 down.
Pulled it back ,but second half Saracens put us under constant pressure.
Thought our defence was solid and the effort unquestionable.
Keep that up lads.

At the time this was announced I seem to remember this games was worth around £500-600,000 which we really couldn't knock back. The stadium improvements funded make the whole exercise justified too. From a bigger picture however, I hope this is the end of it. It does no one any good when this sort of exercise can only attract 6-7,000 paying customers and the Americans are obviously not interested unless a team with 'Irish' in the name is playing. I think we need to be addressing the lack of paying customer interest in the lower divisions over here and club sustainability before we talk about selling our product abroad.

From a players' perspective I bet this has been great fun however, and any travelling Falcons or Sarries fans hopefully had the best away trip they've ever had. You don't often get the chance of such a trip to watch your team playing.

Exiled Falcon
From a players' perspective I bet this has be
en great fun however, and any travelling Falcons or Sarries fans hopefully had the best away trip they've ever had. You don't often get the chance of such a trip to watch your team playing.

I've heard rumours of a great post-match night out in Philly last night. Sarries and Falcons players mixing with Falcons fans in an Irish Bar. Everybody well behaved - just good old fashioned rugby socialising. Love it.

Exiled Falcon
From a players' perspective I bet this has be
en great fun however, and any travelling Falcons or Sarries fans hopefully had the best away trip they've ever had. You don't often get the chance of such a trip to watch your team playing.

I've heard rumours of a great post-match night out in Philly last night. Sarries and Falcons players mixing with Falcons fans in an Irish Bar. Everybody well behaved - just good old fashioned rugby socialising. Love it.

After 24 hours and two bottles of vino collapso, I have reached a balanced assessment. If the dosh quoted is as described above, the exercise has been worth it. I endorse all the above observations about team bonding etc. And looking at our league position at the end of Round Three, I feel pretty good. Nine points from a potential 15 and two wins from three is a good start to the season. We have emerged as a top end side. And the feeling in the South Stand is extraordinary. It has never been a better time to be a Falconista since the golden age of Rob Andrew and the title.

Glad to know us fans over at the game were heard. Didn't see the boys out last night but had beers with Sarries. They are a good bunch and stated they knew they had been in a tough game. American fans were great and despite the low attendance they are as keen as mustard. Sadly about last night was that JP Doyle was drinking with the Sarries boys all night.
On a positive note, David Flatman is even better in real life. A funny guy. Boris Johnston has just passed me. Hope he is not on my flight. Looking forward to Bath. Come on you Falcons.

Just home from what was a fantastic experience. Sports mad city with passionate fans but clearly not many made it to the rugby. Was strange to hear the stadium announcer ask fans to move closer together so TV would show how passionate Philadelphia fans are for their sport. Was it worth it? Clearly it was. The management and owner have made strides over the last 3 years and without a doubt, this was a commercial opportunity not to be missed.
To hear that the Falcons community team had been in Philadelphia for a number of weeks and see young American kids walk round the pitch at half time wearing Newcastle Falcons apparel was great to see.....Well done to everyone involved and especially to fellow Falcons fans who made themselves heard.

Sharks fan in peace... even as a Makem I always hope you guys win (except against us).
I was looking forward to the match and even got home from the pub early to watch it. Wish I hadn't. It was a dire game riddled with errors and of course the atmosphere seemed unreal..
You kinda felt that it was an exhibition match not a premier league game.
I guess we might end up doing something similar next season. Apparently PRL have signed a 4 deal to send teams over...
Good luck next week.

Forgive my ignorance - but what or where is this pot of gold everyone seems to be referring to coming from? I just don't see it.

I would understand if someone had attempted to put a projected value on potential new fans buying merchandise etc. but I cannot for the life of me see where any huge pots of cash alluded to could possibly come from with a spectacle and crowd that underwhelming. Doesn't make any sense to me.

London Irish in New York around St Patrick's Day was the original thinking, and made LOTS of sense. This was initially a deal London Irish struck but abandoned after their relegation. It was never a Prem Rugby initiative...they just went along for the ride.

bonneryForgive my ignorance - but what or where is this pot of gold everyone seems to be referring to coming from? I just don't see it.

Premiership rugby on telly is big business over the pond, and that is driving sponsorship & other financial issues. Therefore there is pressure to play one game per season on American soil. The pot of gold as you put it is the large payment that our club demanded (quite rightly) as compensation for agreeing to the game.

As for London Irish being behind the NY game, I heard that it was dictated from above by the same people who wanted this game played.

I've just remembered a moment late on which was worth it and was pure Ally Hogg class.

Our replacement front row of Mavinga, Socino and Davison were only just holding against Thompson-Stringer, Tolofua and Longbottom. (Incidentally Flats was full of love for Thompson-Stringer but also admiring of young Davison).

Then came that pure moment of Hogginess.

He scrum tilts a little and our number 8 was now going a little bit sideways towards our posts. Hogg held on and held on and then picked up, from that moment it looked a little bit hairy but he timed his movement and had the whole sarries back row go past him infield and he just glided through the gap and made ten + yards.

Kwa444Ironically with the crowd size, I suspect the Falcons were actually the real winners from the game.
Sarries didn't end up any better off than they would have at KP. Their fans missed a trip North.

The broadcasters had a poor game with a low turnout. Not ideal for sponsors either. The Falcons perhaps dropped a point but walked away with a big payday.

It will be interesting to see if we 'drop a point' this Saturday after the Philly adventure. Will the team be galvanized after, effectively, an American rugby tour. Or will they be jet lagged, tired and not really wanting to get on the coach to Barf?

But gives us more of a chance to get a result at the Rec, which improves our chances of getting in the top 6, which has the effect of bringing in more gate takings, which improves our finances. Thereby negating the above arguments&#128526;

If you're prepared to write the cheque Lizard I'm sure the management will be interested to accept your donation!

Sadly we don't have a bottomless budget for travel, accommodation, food, training venues and such like. Money that goes towards that has to come from another pot, and it's just not feasible to keep the guys on the road for another full week even if we wanted to (which I'm not entirely sure we do).

In the unlikely event of any of the players complain about travel and short turnaround remind them of the weekend when Doddie played for Scotland in Paris on Saturday and for the Falcons the following day.

Sorry, I know I'm a bit late with this but just had an opportunity to watch the game in full with no interruptions, I actually thought it was a good spectacle and the lack of crowd didn't really detract from it. Maybe due to the excellent commentary. Just saying, so to speak!

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